Allegany State Park

We did something different for us this year, we went camping in the spring! In past years this has been too busy a time for camping due to so much happening with our kids in school. With both kids both kids now in college we have more flexibility for timing for this type of thing. I got the Shasta out of the garage in mid April to get it ready fo rather season and to get a NY safety inspection sticker so that we’d be legal on the road. I know a lot of people in NY don’t keep these stickers up-to-date every year, but with a trailer that gets noticed as much as ours I try to always make sure everything is valid. 

It had been unseasonably warm, but then a week before our trip we were treated to a blanket of snow in the last week of April. We’ve done some fall camping when there were flurries in the air, but I think this is the first time in the 15 years since we restored the Shasta that it’s actually been out in the snow like this. Luckily things cleared up fast and the roads didn’t get salted our area, road salt was my biggest concern as it can make an impact on a vehicle with only one trip. 

Another fist for us was camping at NY’s Allegheny State Park. It’s only a few hours drive from home, but for whatever reason we had never camped there with the Shasta before. We camped mid-week and even though the reservation system showed about 50% of the sites as booked, we found that only 10% or less were actually occupied which was fantastic. We camped with some friends who rented a modern trailer that was a just a bit longer than ours. They are thinking about getting a camper and are torn between the luxuries of a new rig and the lure of vintage. They had a great time, but we’ll have to see what they end up with! 

It was a great trip that reminded us to visit places that are closer to home, we did a lot of hiking as well as driving around to check out the area. Besides the NY state park, there are several places to camp in nearby Pennsylvania. We checked a few places out and found several good camping spots in the Allegheny National Forest and Kinzua Dam area to keep in mind for quick trips once the Avion is on the road.